In the After timeline, Ruth and Nik, the only two survivors in the area, try to survive by scavenging, fishing and farming--the usual post-apocalyptic stuff. But where you might expect something eventful happening, nothing much does. The story never moves beyond the area they start the After timeline in, and other than the catastrophe, the book is uneventful. It's all just glimpses of Ruth's life without ever delving deep enough for real character growth. It was a pleasant enough read, but I missed some meat to the story. Mary is preparing to remarry; a big celebration in her garden and then she’ll leave this home forever. Before she can get to that point though, her children and their partners, plus their long standing feuds will all have to come together and hopefully behave themselves for her big day. Each month I bring you my recommendation of a must-read book. I read a variety of genres so it could be anything from fiction, non-fiction, romance, historical fiction or a thriller and I really hope that you’ll enjoy each of them as much as I do.

Kate Sawyer - Apple Podcasts Novel Experience Kate Sawyer - Apple Podcasts

Where most dystopian stories are rife with the usual tensions of people murdering each other for resources, zombies, etc, this book takes a more quiet, meandering journey. The story is told in two timelines where we follow Ruth: Before the catastrophe and After the catastrophe. What the catastrophe is, exactly, we're never told. Ruth avoids news at all costs Before, and After all we really know is something happened and the whole world was flooded with...something. Fire? Radiation? Bombs? No idea. I got so involved in the story and as you knew what was coming, the build up and suspense was amazing, I felt so sad for Ruth, her parents and friends but the story of her new life was just fascinating.In “This Family” we meet matriarch Mary; she’s raised two daughters and one step daughter in her big old house, and is reminiscing about all the good and bad times that have been had inside and outside its walls.

The Stranding by Kate Sawyer | Goodreads

It's a very different book and much more of a slow burn but it drew me in with the flawed but realistic characters, slow reveal through the timelines and the beautiful writing. I think that this will appeal to readers who love family sagas and the intimate dynamics of family life. I will say that the beginning of this book, specifically the parts with the whale, definitely made me sit up and pay attention. It's also a fairly easy read. He heard that. They watch carefully for any movement among the mounds of rubble. They hold their breath, trying to listen, straining to hear beyond the high-pitched ringing in their ears. A few minutes pass and there is no response. No movement. No noise. Or, at least, none they can hear.

A truly unique and gripping read * Marianne Cronin, author The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot * That aside, the post-apocalypse storyline unfolds quite predictably but so beautifully I can't fault it at all. I sniffled my way through the last chapters despite seeing it coming a mile off, and I suppose that's where the dual storylines come together so well - the unravelling of Ruth's 'Before' life takes over when the 'After' life follows more predictable patterns. Every character is so beautifully real - made up of heartache, happiness, of people they've loved and hated. I found something in al of them that moved me and made me think of my own family, the beautiful and the dysfunctional parts. It was so simple to find a connection with them, and understand how the ties between have changed over time. I adored how the family in this story isn't just the typical - it's ex husbands, in-laws, friends, half siblings, relatives - all complex with their own beautifully meaningful connections. Guest authors, from across form and genres, all at different stages in their careers, generously give an insight into how they write, why they write and their journeys to, through and beyond publication. Kate has plentiful real-life experience to draw on. A Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art-trained actor, she worked on stage and screen from leaving school - Bury St Edmunds’ County Upper; she’s a Suffolk native - until, having penned a series of plays, she decided to change career lanes and focus on writing, a decision which coincided with another: to pursue fertility treatment and become a solo mother.

The Stranding by Kate Sawyer | Goodreads The Stranding by Kate Sawyer | Goodreads

Bauer Consumer Media Ltd, Company number 01176085; Bauer Radio Limited, Company number: 1394141; Registered office: Media House, Peterborough Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA and H Bauer Publishing, Company number: LP003328; Registered office: The Lantern, 75 Hampstead Road, London NW1 2PL This book was a fabulous reading experience. I cried when I came to the end, not because it was sad but because I wanted to stay in the chaotic, messy world the author created. Told from multiple points of view, it follows four generations of one family as they come together for a wedding. This will be the first time they are all together since unknown events fractured them into pieces, but sisters Emma, Phoebe, and Rosie have agreed to put their own feelings aside for their mother Mary’s special day. But the pain runs deep between them, and they are unprepared for some of the feelings that arise when they see one another for the first time in years. This novel perfectly encapsulates the essence of family life with all of its messiness, drama, pain, and complex relationships. This is a family that is broken and we see how tensions run even higher during claustrophobic and anxiety-laden situations such as a wedding. The characters are all richly drawn, compelling, flawed and relatable. I had a particular affinity for Mary, who is a kind, selfless woman that has always given her all to her family, even raising the child her husband had with his mistress after her death. I think a lot of this affinity stemmed from having raised children from two families in a blended household myself, as well as the fact that my children are now grown and I’ve just had my second wedding. I also really enjoyed Irene, the cantankerous mother of Mary’s ex-husband Richard and the delightful Rosie, who was the only sister talking to everyone.With the next novel well underway - another feat of structure, it will mine the memories of 10 key characters - Kate will find out if she’s won her Costa category on January 4. Shortlisted alongside The Manningtree Witches by AK Blakemore, Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson and Fault Lines by Emily Itami - “all of which I’ve read, all of which are brilliant” - Kate says “to be in such great company is an honour in itself. It’s confirmation that this is the right path.” What happens next (and before), I’d really rather not say, suffice to say that this is an unforgettable book. I'm sure all readers of This Family will have differing opinions on which characters they liked, and which characters they disliked, especially when considering the three sisters (Emma, Phoebe, and Rosie), based on their own personalities and preferences.

REVIEW: The Stranding by Kate Sawyer - Female First REVIEW: The Stranding by Kate Sawyer - Female First

Mary is getting remarried, in the house where she raised her children and stepchildren, where she watched her family grow up and then ultimately grow apart. This Family is the latest by The Stranding author, Kate Sawyer. I loved that book so much and I know lots of you reading this did too.With so much skill in both narrative structure and prose, the fact that this is Kate Sawyers debut novel boggles my mind. Their were so many ways this novel could have stranded (pardon the pun) along the way: the transverse timelines could have been confusing, the story incohesive and the survival elements could have been at risk of being overly romanticized. Yet Sawyer navigated it all so skilfully that the end result is a debut novel very close to perfection. I deeply hope to see more of her work in the future.